A Warsaw Melody

Friday, 30 March 2012 - Saturday, 28 April 2012
Times : 15:00 - 17:15 20:00 - 22:15

Arcola Theatre, 24 Ashwin Street, Hackney, E8 3DL

How Much: £16.00 (Tickets) , £12.00 (Concessions)

This classic story of ill-fated love opens with the meeting of a Russian boy and Polish girl. Initially set in post-war Soviet Russia, the political situation has devastating consequences for the couple when it is announced that Russians can no longer marry foreign nationals. The damage Stalin’s law inflicts upon the two young lovers is a stark indictment of a state that seeks to legislate personal relationships. 

Emily Tucker’s Helya is flirtatious and passionate and buckets of energy make her a remarkably likeable character. Oliver King’s Victor, in contrast, is stuffy and a little awkward – making them an odd match. Their early romance is quaint but it lacks the passion or the humour needed to really captivate the audience. Things only get interesting in later scenes where tensions between them are exposed.

But there is a great deal of lyricism and earthy wisdom retained in the translation which endows the script with moments of unusually interesting dialogue. Thought-provoking elements arrive unexpectedly in their chatter and keep the play from sliding into the banal. Stylised segments are also well done but they jar against the usual naturalism of the piece. Sadly, this play isn’t quite as heartbreaking as it should be.

Vicky Sparrow